Washington Ranks 7th in Energy Efficiency Among U.S. Cities

When it comes to bad driving and lying, though, the nation's capital reigns supreme.

The Capitol peeks out over solar-panel-topped experimental buildings.(AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)

America's most populous cities haven't been holding their breath while waiting for a bipartisan energy-efficiency bill currently stuck in the Senate. Those cities include the nation's capital, which ranks seventh in energy efficiency, according to a new scorecard from the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

The rankings measure a city's success by its energy-efficiency legislation and practices, from building and transportation policies to local energy consumption and community programs. Boston tops the list of 34 cities, followed by Portland, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle and Austin. This is the first scorecard for cities from ACEEE, which releases similar grading for states each year.

According to the scorecard, Washington is among a group of cities, which includes Minneapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Denver, "poised to rise in the rankings in future years."

Last spring, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray outlined a long-term sustainability plan to make the District "the most sustainable city in the nation by 2032." The initiative calls for more green everything: jobs, buildings, and streets.

Washington may not lead the country in energy efficiency, but it does carry a number of other superlatives. While its drivers are the most accident prone and its people the least honest, the the District is also "America's best city for women."